Interesting stuff Pete, really enjoyed reading it. If Ceri was 21 again, how do you think he would have gone in te A League?
Ceri was one of our best-ever international centre-backs (and would have been good enough to play for Australia too) so he would waltz into any current A-League team. Better player than Durante or Sigmund. 116 games for Oxford United in English second tier 1989 - 1994 when he played alongside future Premier League stars and internationals. Juggled pro football with studying at Oxford University.
Ceri trialed at Manchester United in 1980 aged 16 and had to mark fellow triallist Mark Hughes (also 16) in a trial game.
Wasn't signed but concentrated on completing a medical degree at Canterbury and Otago Universities in the 1980's , while playing for Christchurch United and Dunedin City in the Rothmans League.
Decided in 1989 to take up a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University - combined with playing in the second tier of English football for Oxford United. Oxford had just been relegated from the top flight and were owned by crooked media mogul Robert Maxwell and had a bigger budget then. Liverpool legend Mark Laurenson signed Ceri for Oxford late in the 1988-89 season.
Ceri's team mates at Oxford included current Derby manager (and former England manager) Steve McClaren, Steve Foster (ex-England international & ex- Villa, Luton and Brighton), Robbie Mustoe (future Middlesbrough star) , Andy Melville (Wales international 1989 -2004, future Sunderland and Fulham star), Mark Stein (Luton, Chelsea & Stoke striker) and Jim Magilton before he went to the Premier League (who also played for Liverpool, Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton and Ipswich and briefly coached Melbourne Victory in the A-League.) .